Mailing-folder.



7A. M. con.

MA|L|N G FOLDER. APPLICATION .VFILED MN|121 1914.

` Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

To all what?. traag/concord l BeitknowntliatLALBERT MERRILL Corr, al citizen` ofthe `:UnitedStates.. residing at i Chicago, in the jconntyfzof Cook and State `ffof -Illinoisvliave"invented new `and `useful `.Improvementsin Mailing-Folders, of which wthe `followingLis a full,` clear, concise, and exact "description, reference being had to the j.thisspecification." j j Y i My invention )rela-tes. Ito improvements 1n mailing lfoldeisnotthe.'kind wherein a repearirig `on the retrn] cardrather than on thefolder`jproperandbeing exposed to view parentwndow' envelopfi` Folders of this i ing,"th'e advertising inatter` being` printed on i j `the side `of thesheetfwhich is `folded 1n to conceal" it `freni" view until the `folder is l openedor unfolded bythe recipient.` Ther return c rd nsnally hasfthe said sheet folded "1 about it; whereby it` is` inclosed therein. j Saidardis'heldf against sidewise move nient lby .beingy Ipassed 3 through transverse i j'slits in `the lfol-ded sheet,l and therefore, it`

.covers` njifa .greatilpart "of the advertising 1' inatterrand"nnist .be removed from said slits to ex`p"osefsaidadvertising` matter to View. `@IFartherinore,`"the` long'transverse slits detract; from; thellappeara'nce of the -folder bea sidesl ifenderingait.liable to" be" torn ycoinpletcly intwo.bothwiniinserting the card andreinoving `it and `also in sending, it

card .tothe` outsidetotthe` folder `instead ot' iinclosing it within` thesaine, the card'has K S'pecication of Letters Patent.

aacompanylug.drawing,` forming aV part` ofV Jtarncard accompanies the folder, the' 1nail j `1niaddress`"for lthe folder as, a. whole, ap-.

in ajrnanner somewhat similar` tothe trans-V V* #character 1 are `employed `inainly in advertis-` thronglr` theiiiiail. Where attempts have been iliade to giletaohably, secure "thev return' not been securely held to the folder, niost speaking, is to" Provide` an improved folder` y sinner `MERRILL: corr.'` or Y omesso, rumors.

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raten/tea Feb. is, raie.

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hind it, whereby onlj7 a small area thereof `is exposed' to view. To provide a folder in whichthe slits are mainly vertical and relatively short, whereby the sheet is not weak- Lened as much as with long ,horizontal slits extending nearly .across the sheet.y To pro- A-vide a. folder wherein the slits, which hold the card in place, are used also to hold the sheet in folded position.

Other objects and advantages will be ap- .Ear-'rent from the more detailed description hereinafter given.

j Inthe accompanying drawings, .have shownI several embodiments of the invention, which will serve4 to illustrate the novel `features. i j

Figure l, of' said drawings, is a perspeo" tlve view of one forni or' the folder it appears `with the retin-n `card in place, ready for mailing. Fig. 2, is a perspective view of the folder in open positionabont it would` beheld in being read. Figs. `3 and 4, are elevations of n'iodiiied forms .of inailing folders having" the slits shaped differ `ently iiroin the showing in Fig. l. lligg. 5, is a further `modified forni in which not only are lthe slits diiierent. het the entire. folder is inverted with respect to the folder shown in the `other igures.-

The folder proper comprises a sheet l, of snit-able stocl, which is pre ,erably seinewhat heavier and somewhat stitler than :the usual'writingipaper and may be restringir. lar in outline. lt is folded to torni a phiq ralitv ot sections. ln the presentinstance, it is folded to provide four sections innch 'after the manner in which an ordinary sheet of legal size paper is tolderhof' at the two middle sections are of .,g. height than 'the two end of thev sections is provided wi a. substantially vertical slits Said turned away from each other' at one end in such a manner as to forni' projecting tabs or clips` At the other and they terminate short ofv the adjacent crease in' the paper, whereby as shown in Fig. l, a lower border is provided which improves the appearance of the fol der and gives more the oiect ot a window. However, l do not limit ii'iysell' to this arrai'igenient. i.

The! post card is inserted in the slit-s in a manner which will be apparent from Figs. l and 2. The short upper sections of the 'folder are folded down o\'eithe doper half of the postcard and are sprung in behind the tabs 3, whereby the parts are held together. lith this arri'ingement, it is not necessary to use a special seal to hold the folder shut, and the mailing stamp Jr may be applied in the customary corner as shown in Fig. 1. Of course, if desired, it lnay be applied to theedges of the overlapping sections as shown in dotted lines in' said figure, whereby further security is obtained.

lt will be noted that the distance between the vertical slits is much less than the length of the return card, as a result of which the short edges of the latter are completely covered. The upper edge of the post card and-in fact the upper half thereof, is also completely covered by the short sections which are folded down over it. kln fact, the area of the post card exposed to view is comparatively small as compared to thc area of the entire card and while said area lnay be varied within wide limits, it is advantageous to have. it relatively small. whereby the post card may be protected. particularly at its edges, thereby rendering it less liable to be caught and torn from position.

The side of the sheet shown in Fig. 2, may be called the inside and is intendedto contain practically all of the letter o' advertising matter addressed to the customer.

'lVhen the sheet is folded, the post card is not inclosed within it; that is, it is neither inclosed in the sense of being located between the main folds of the sheet as if it were in an envelop, nor is it in contact with the inner printed side. Instead it is in contact with the outer side of the sheet, and while partially covered by the two short upper sections as shown in Fig. 1, the etl'ect is the same as that of a card caught by its short edges on the outside of the main folds of the sheet. Hence, in opening the folder the short sections areA swungupwardly about as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the post card conveniently removed before the sheet is entirely opened, whereupon .the entire side of the sheet is exposed to view at once and the effectiveness of the printed matteil is not impaired. However, even if the post card is not removed, the inside of the sheet when opened is practically unobstructed, as only i a very small part of the post card projects thronghthe slits, as shown in Fie 9 b. Furtheraiore, said slits being substantiallyvertical ,and spaced apart a considerable distance,`the continuity of the sheetin its middle portion is not interrupte'tl'nor is said sheet. substantially weakened or easy to tear eitler when inserting or removing the post car While many of the advantages enumeratedlback on themselves in some manner.

the flaps or tabs 3, however, for locking the fold. itis necessary that said slits double i 'l`he slits 5 and shown in ["igs. 3 and t. are different from those shown in Figs. l and 2, and are suggestive .of various arrangments, which may be employed satisfactorily. ()f

course. where it is the intentionv to use a special sealing wafer in any case.. the locking tabs il may be dispensed witlnin which case the slits neednot be doubled back upon themselves. butmerely made to extend lat erally far enough to permit the post card to be inserted.` The' preferred construction. however. includes said. locking tabs. l'n Fig. 5, the slits T illustrate another modification in this regz'il'd. the folder being a modification mainly. however. in that il is mailed in a position inverted with respect tothe folder shown -in Fig. 1. ln other words the mailing address is ynear/the top of the return card. instead of near the'bottom thereof. This arrangement brings the top and bottom edges of the sheet.` which latter are caught under the' tabs. above the middle of the device instead of below the middle as shown` in Fig. 1. In this position, if an ordinary one centstamp is pasted over said edges, said stamp will appear in its normal position in the upper right hand corner of the device rather than near the middle thereof. This form of folder yis also more convenient where the return cards are so worded as to make it desirable to :have the name and address at the beginning of the printedstatement thereon. rather than at the end thereof.'

lt is apparenty that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments thereof illustrated, and described herein, as other various forms may be devised which fall within the scope of said invention asv expressed in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A mailing folder having a plurality of folded sections and a card between two of said sections, one of said last named sections being slitted to receive. said card and to receive also, toa less extent. the other ot' said sections whereby said card projects beyond said other Section with the address thereon exposed to view, said folder being secured in folded position by the locking of said other section within said slits.`

2. In combination, a mailing folder comprising a folded sheet having one section provided With substantially parallel slits Which diverge at one end and double-back on themselves about to the line Where they began to diverge, to provide locking tabs, and a return card received within said parallel slits and confined against lateral movement, said locking tabs enfjraginfr` another section and holding the folder shut.

vE. A mailing folder comprising in combination, a folded sheet having a plurality of sections, an outer 'section being shorter than an adjacent inner section, a card arranged 5 'betweensaid two latter' sections and extending beyond the free edge of the shorter one, tongues formed by slitting'the longer section to engage said shorter section near said free edge thereof to lock said sections in their `l0 folded positions, thejslits forming said tongues being adapted to receive two of the corners of said card and position it laterally, relatively to said folder, and vertically in one direction with a portion thereof eX- ia p osed to View, said card being positioned vertically 1n the opposite direction by one of the creases made by folding said sheet.

4.9 A mailing folder comprising a folded sheet having substantially parallel slits, a o four sided card held Within said slits with a pair ofl opposite margins covered and a middle area exposed to View, another of said margins being covered by one of the folded over portions, whereby less than one entire edge'of said card is exposed, and locking tabs formed by extensions of said slits for holdingV said folder closed.

5.The combination with .a return card having the mailing address at the top thereof, of a folder therefor comprising a folded sheet-between the two outermost folds Whereof the card is arranged, one of said folds having hook shaped slits which' hold said Witnesses: l

Vieronnr MATTHEWS, GEORGE P. BARTON. 

